


Triumvirate

by cataclysma



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2019-10-15 21:33:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17536652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cataclysma/pseuds/cataclysma
Summary: “Let me be perfectly clear, General,” Snoke growled, looking directly at him now. Phasma watched Kylo Ren’s attention move with him. Hux looked like a womprat pinned beneath a tusken’s spear in that moment. “If you three are expected to stand at the head of the First Order, then you will do so as a triumvirate, or not at all. I have made certain my apprentice understands this, and I will not repeat myself.”“I serve at your pleasure, Supreme Leader,” Armitage bit out hastily, folding into a half-bow. Phasma noted he did not quite expose his neck as perhaps he should have if he were truly attempting to show deference.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is yet. I'm just going to keep writing and see what happens. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> You can expect lots of bickering, distrust, and confusion about growing feelings of camaraderie in spite of that.

She had to give one thing to Cardinal: he knew how to implement a regiment, even if she always needed to correct his mistakes aboard the _Finalizer_ at the end of it all. His absence aboard the _Absolution_ was hardly noted, save for the occasional curious squeak from one of the children. It was a good opportunity to remind them not to question.

Captain Phasma had never cared much for Cardinal’s job. It wasn’t until Armitage had proposed that their programs be merged that she even considered the possibilities. When was the last time she had impressionable minds to mold? Not to mention the access it gave her to the whole of the First Order machine. With this, the Stormtroopers birthed from the program would not just be soldiers. They would be fully fledged killers, just like her.

Well, perhaps not quite like her.

It is a thought she does not spend vast amounts of time lingering on. With the aforementioned Captain’s dismissal, Phasma had new duties to attend to.

“Phasma,” a familiar nasally voice chimed in her helmet as she continued her march to the mess hall. She did not stop, despite the intonation in Armitage’s voice which told that he was about to demand something of her.

“Yes, General.” _General_. It never felt quite right on her tongue, addressing such a scrawny, brittle man as her superior, but it was an arrangement that was otherwise...agreeable. She could not deny the younger Hux’s brilliant military mind, among other things. She did find it rather disagreeable when he chose not to address her by her title, as she addressed him by his own.

There was no sense in asking for that concession. It was a minor annoyance, and told her that he considered their relationship to be one of more than just rank and file. He considered her a confidant, and that was something she would keep a grip on as long as he was stupid enough to allow it of her.

And, if she were honest with herself, she was...fond of the little shit. Sometimes. Of course, the word "fond" was barely in her vocabulary.

“The Supreme Leader is requesting your presence in the board room,” Armitage replied, slightly more clipped than usual. That was perhaps the only thing that could have gotten her to stop walking. She’d heard of the fabled leader of the First Order, but she never had cause to interact with the man and she never expected she would. After all, she was a soldier, not a bureaucrat like the Hux men. When she did not reply immediately, Armitage’s voice adopted a slight growl. “Now.”

“Understood, General.”

 _Armitage._ One day, she was going to put her boot solid on his throat.

\------

When Phasma entered the board room, she was surprised to find that she was alone at first. Then, on one side of the table, a blue glow filled the room and a hologram of Armitage Hux filled the empty space. Even without being able to analyze him in person, she could see that he was tense; his eyes flickered toward her only briefly to acknowledge her presence. On the opposite side of the room, another hologram flickered to life -- this man (at least, she supposed it was a man from how he puffed his chest), she did not recognize. He was a hooded figure, stiff as a statue, his face shrouded by a menacing chrome frown.

Phasma took time to observe him. She knew Armitage better than she knew some of her ancestors on Parnassos, and did not need to give him her attention, but this new anomaly … there was something different about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t just that his mask was obscuring his face. When the man met her shrouded stare, she felt as if he were looking through her rather than at her.

Hm.

Before she could vocalize her curiosity, a third hologram flickered into existence, and both Armitage and the mystery man turned their attention toward it at the head of the table. Phasma felt something growing cold in her chest.

The man before them -- Supreme Leader Snoke, she surmised -- was a towering giant, more so than herself or the newcomer she had not yet been introduced to. She felt her anger rising upon the realization that the man, their supposed leader, was little more than a frail old man. No matter how tall he was, he’d never be fit for battle. That was what her eyes told her, but her instincts told not to holster her blaster. She found herself subconsciously taking note of the location of the holocams in the room.

“Captain Phasma.” Snoke spoke her name and rank like he was speaking to a child who had just killed their first rat. “So good of you to join us.”

Again, she said nothing. It was not her job to question, only to obey and to execute as instructed. It was a test, to see if she would startle at the idea that they were speaking behind her back after Cardinal mysteriously disappeared from the _Absolution_.

“You have already met General Hux, of course,” he continued, leaning back on whatever he was sitting on and steepeling skeletal hands. His robe shimmered and reflected the hololight. Then, he gestured to the tower of black to her left. “Besides you stands my enforcer, Kylo Ren.” The named man turned only at his waist to regard her as Snoke continued.

“Each of you has been essential in building the monolith upon which we operate, and the hour of execution approaches,” the Supreme Leader drawled, his sunken eyes briefly disappearing behind his eyelids. Strangely, Phasma felt watched anyway. “The First Order will soon be fully realized. But first, its arms must learn to operate in sync with each other.”

Something electric sizzled through the room. Phasma watched the man called Kylo Ren look away from her in order to look across at General Hux. Curiously, Phasma noted, Armitage had done the same -- but Armitage did not have the advantage of a mask to hide his emotions. His everpresent sneer grew pronounced and his bright eyes hardened like ice, though he said nothing in response.

The Supreme Leader could see it as well. When she looked back, she could see him leaning to one side on the throne, his misshapen head propped up with one gnarled hand and a smirk present on his face.

“I have appointed a replacement for your station on the _Absolution_ for the time being, Captain Phasma. You will brief them and ensure that the machine does not rust in your absence.”

“Of course, Supreme Leader,” Phasma replied automatically, posture still stiff. She could see the holofeeds reacting and adjusting to the whine of the vocorecorder in her helmet.

“After, the three of you are to convene on the _Finalizer_ , and then you will descend upon Tehar. Kylo Ren will brief you on your expectations while you are there. There are several assets of interest I wish for you to acquire and return to me.” 

“Understood, Supreme Leader,” Armitage replied, with deference that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something about this situation made him unhappy. Phasma already had a good idea which part it was. He was no doubt already aboard the _Finalizer_. She could make it her business to arrive before this ‘Kylo Ren’ did.

“Let me be perfectly clear, General,” Snoke growled, looking directly at him now. Phasma watched Kylo Ren’s attention move with him. Hux looked like a womprat pinned beneath a tusken’s spear in that moment. “If you three are expected to stand at the head of the First Order, then you will do so as a triumvirate, or not at all. I have made certain my apprentice understands this, and I will not repeat myself.”

“I serve at your pleasure, Supreme Leader,” Armitage bit out hastily, folding into a half-bow. Phasma noted he did not quite expose his neck as perhaps he should have if he were truly attempting to show deference.

“Good. Dismissed.”

And just like that, the three holograms flickered into the darkness, leaving Phasma staring at the wall while feeling oddly adrift. A triumvirate, then.

First the _Absolution_. Then, she would go to Armitage, and concoct a proper plan.

———

Several droids raced down the belly of the _Absolution_ as she made her way back to the simulator rooms. Captain Phasma always made a point to eat in her quarters, so no one had been surprised by the lack of her presence in the mess hall. She caught the children as the klaxon rang to signify the start of their afternoon drills.

The sim rooms were relics of a begotten era. Armitage had been none too pleased to learn that Phasma had opted to cease using them after retiring Captain Cardinal. After all, they were as much the General’s labor as they were for the late Captain, perhaps more with all the hours of programming he had put into them.

She could remember running the drills herself. It only took a few weeks to unlock the pattern, even on its most challenging setting. The children deserved better — she would not set her troops up for failure. When they failed, it would be because of their own weaknesses and not because she had failed to teach them proper technique.

However, proper technique could not be taught in the time she had left aboard the _Absolution_. Her replacement would need to use Cardinal’s programs for just a bit longer. She wouldn’t tell Armitage that, of course. How would she otherwise resist wiping that smug grin off of his weaselly face?

When she entered the observation bridge, she was greeted by the sound of plastoid armor cracking together as three troopers stood to attention to greet her. She did not tell them to rest. Instead, she turned to the only one of the bunch not dressed in white armor.

In contrast, even with the mirror reflection, the trooper’s gold and black armor disappeared in the low light of the bridge.

”Captain,” came a man’s voice from the vocorecorder. His voice was smooth, and unbothered. Phasma had never kept any friends, and of course Commander Pyre was no exception to that rule, but she had come to consider him capable.

And really, that was all she needed: someone capable, to round up the children.

”Commander Pyre,” Phasma greeted in return. “I have been called away by the Supreme Leader. I am leaving things in your care until I return. Though I expect you already have the day memorized, I will be sending you a revised schedule to implement in my absence.”

She could tell that he was neither pleased with nor expecting this new development. There was something about his shoulders, and the way they rolled backward to lock as if he was being tied to a pole.

”Of course, Captain,” Pyre responded, without hesitation. “Permission to speak freely?”

”Granted,” Phasma replied, allowing some of her minor irritation with his questions to slip through.

”Wouldn’t it be better to send another? The new program is still being taught—“

”You will be reverting to the sim training, for the time being,” Phasma cut him off. The irritation in her tone increased, indicating that she would not be willing to entertain his protests. Surely he didn’t think that this was what she wanted. “If that’s all.”

”Of course, Captain,” Pyre replied, with deference. Phasma did not reply, instead turning about face and allowing her cape to snap as she exited the room.

Perfect timing. Almost on cue, her comm buzzed to alert her of contact from General Hux. He had no doubt been watching the cameras himself from the _Finalizer._

”Ren is one hundred and seventy klicks out,” he told her. His irritation with this entire set up was more obvious to her now that he was speaking out of supposed earshot from Snoke. “I suggest you make haste to the _Finalizer_ if you expect to have an edge up on all of this.”

“I am on my way,” Phasma offered in return.

———

Phasma arrived on the _Finalizer_ to be greeted with ceremony from her more advanced troops. She might have been proud, were she not running through her mental checklist. Whomever this Kylo Ren was, they had shaken the young Hux more than she had ever seen before — at least, prior to the death of his father, Brendol. 

Armitage was waiting, arms folded behind his back stiffly and flanked by two of his personal guard, FN-1526 and FN-1527. They were two of her earliest recruits. Guard detail suited them.

More importantly, she noted that Armitage was armed on his own ship, despite their presence. He was red in the face, barely containing some sort of out burst she knew would come when they were out of sight from the others. Beneath her helmet, she couldn’t stop the small, malicious grin that slid across her face. Armitage tightened a little when she stopped just a few inches away from him, leaving him to crane his neck upwards to meet his own eyes in the reflection of her armor. His breath fogged it when he opened his mouth to speak.

”We have much to discuss.”


	2. Chapter 2

The walk through the _Finalizer_ takes longer than Phasma has the patience for. After spending as much time as she had on the _Absolution_ , coming back here felt like going back to a childhood home. The only problem with that was that Phasma did not have pleasant memories of her childhood home. By the time she was born, Parnassos was already a wasteland, doomed to consume itself in the ash of corporate greed. She remembered living on no food, contaminated water, and using the bodies of her clan to protect herself against radiation poisoning. It was a half life, and a life she never wanted to associate her _new_ life ever again.

So, rather than think about it, she allows herself to instead focus on the steady sound of Armitage's boots marching down the hallway alongside her's. He had to walk faster in order to keep up with her long, practiced strides. Their march was free of conversation besides that -- they were both people of few words, especially in times such as these. The First Order was on the precipice of becoming the galaxy's greatest power. _Anything_ could disrupt it, and they would not be the ones held responsible for it.

The hiss of the door to the chosen meeting room pulls Phasma out of her step-count. There was only a moment where she shared a glance with the man beside her before he stepped inside ahead of her. The door closed shortly after the swish of her cape cleared the automated sensor. Armitage did not even wait to rest his blaster on the table in front of them, prompting Phasma to do the same. It was a sort of mutual agreement they had come to, not long after she had returned with Brendol aboard the _Absolution_. She knew what sort of man Armitage was, just as Armitage knew what sort of woman she was.

They were both killers. They practiced the art in different ways, but if they were expected to trust one another, than they would do so while unarmed. Or, as unarmed as the eyes would allow. Armitage wore a greatcoat, and Phasma wore armor.

Though Phasma noted that this time, Armitage was holding his tongue and staring at her helmet with some obvious expectation that she was going to remove it.

"You informed me that there was much to discuss," Phasma offered somewhat coldly, arms dropping to her sides as she stepped away from her weapon. Her helmet stayed right where it was, hiding the sneer she felt forming. "Shall we get to discussing?" Needless to say, Armitage was displeased with Phasma's refusal to take his hint. There was a short exhaled huff of air that puffed out of his flared nostrils before he moved to sit at the head of the table.

"Kylo Ren," Armitage started, rolling the consonants of the other man's name with venom sewn between them, a false smile spreading across his features. He allowed it to settle for a moment, no doubt to prepare Phasma for what was to be a very emotionally wrought briefing. The smile dropped like durasteel before he continued. "What do you know of him?"

"Not a bloody thing." Phasma's reply was clipped and impatient. Armitage knew very well that Phasma only knew what Armitage decided to tell her, and what she could find by her own hand. A man so close to Snoke was, until about an hour ago, above her pay grade. "But I suspect you are going to tell me all I need to know right now."

That, of course, was a lie. After she had seen Snoke, and seen how he treated Armitage, she could guess that he didn't know half of what he thought he knew. She did not need to work directly with him to guess that the Supreme Leader was a secret keeper, and if he was grooming any sort of heir in Kylo Ren as he seemed to be, then General Hux knew only what he needed to know and nothing more. But she would let him think as he pleased -- if it kept him confident, that would do for now.

"The Supreme Leader has been investing much of his time into grooming an apprentice in Kylo Ren."

 _Obviously._ Phasma thought.

"They share the trait of Force sensitivity. They can move or halt moving objects without touching them, extract information from minds on a whim, among other problematic things," Armitage continued, leaning forward onto the table in an attempt to hide his discomfort. Phasma took note of that, though she had only the vaguest idea of what the words he had said meant. On Parnassos, she had never encountered anyone who was "Force sensitive", but the Stormtrooper program additions that Armitage had added after the passing of Brendol had enlightened her as to what to expect from someone who possessed that sort of... _insight._ Now, she couldn't help but wonder if Armitage had added the Force negation technology and training to protect himself from Kylo Ren and the Supreme Leader, under the guise of safeguarding the army.

Clever.

"I see," Phasma eventually offered, looking up toward one of the camera droids hovering in the corner of the room. "And you don't like this one. Kylo Ren."

" _No,_ I do not," General Hux growled, spreading his hands across the table to further brace himself. His fingers moved beneath the table, and eventually, the cam droid came to rest on the floor and deactivated. One less thing for her to erase later. Armitage's voice then dropped dangerously low. "The Supreme Leader wastes far too much of his time raising a _child_ than he does devoting resources to his own army."

"Is the management of the army not our duty, General?" Phasma offered, causing Armitage to sit up and grow even _more_ red in the face, somehow. "What does Kylo Ren have to do with all of that?"

A few moments passed, Armitage clearly too stunned to speak. He had no doubt expected Phasma to align with his thinking if he took the angle that their power was at stake. But Phasma could see through his insecurity. Whomever this "Kylo Ren" was, he had all the power he needed being Snoke's supposed apprentice. The army was a tool at his disposal, and nothing more. The silence was broken with a frustrated slam of Armitage's fist against the table.

"It _means_ that the Supreme Leader relies on a loose canon wildcard to see our objectives through!" Armitage practically snarled in Phasma's direction, rising from his seat as he did so. "It _means_ our success rate is thrown into chaos because we cannot account for Ren's unpredictability. He is not driven by _reason_ or by _mission_ perimeters, Phasma. I do not think you quite comprehend the situation we are both currently in."

What a joke.

"Kindly reign in your hysterics, General," Phasma replied coldly, causing Armitage's gloved fingers to curl to fists in distaste for how she made demands of him. "It is our job to succeed, and that is what we will do. With or without Kylo Ren. You do not need to complicate it any further with paranoia. If you only believe he is out to sabotage us at every turn and has nothing to gain from our mutual success, then we've already failed our mission."

Armitage went quiet after that, and Phasma watched the gears turn under his bright red hair. He and Brendol were alike, in that way. Like the software they programmed, they were always calculating every possible outcome and disaster and attempting to self correct before they were forced to confront their potential failure. It took him some time, but he eventually arrived at the same conclusion as she.

"Fine," he replied, still cold but more calm as he straightened and walked around the curve of the table. "But if he goes off, then we will do this _my_ way. Tehar is not exactly a hospitable planet. If we are to land without an army at our back, then we will need to take care to blend with the villagers--"

Abruptly, a red light in the corner of the room began a slow and steady blink, cutting him off. Phasma turned to glance at it and, right on cue, a voice crackled in on her wrist communicator. She turned her palm upward, the deck officer shimmering into holographic view.

"General. Captain," the officer greeted them. "Apologies for the interruption, but it appears that Lord Ren has arrived."

\----------

The air of the _Finalizer_ was a welcome change to the recycled air Kylo Ren had been breathing for the past several hours in his shuttle. Of course, the air on the _Finalizer_ was also recycled, as all air was, but the size of the ship meant it felt less artificial to breathe and was easier on his lungs.

No stormtroopers accompanied him on this journey. The divisions stationed on the _Finalizer_ would be army enough, should they require one. But the mission to Tehar was meant to be reconnaissance and quiet extraction, _not_ a bloodpath for their war party to cut their teeth upon. Kylo Ren was still not convinced he would be able to mind Captain Phasma and General Hux to these perimeters, but of course the Supreme Leader had not given him much choice in the matter. This was a test, and one he did not plan to fail.

As the gangplank dropped with an echoing thud, he heard the unmistakable sound of plastoid shifting and cracking as the division in the hanger bay saluted his descent. Black robes caught the small updraft, sending the tails of his surcoat in different directions as he turned to face the deck officer. He was a small man, and Kylo Ren made sure he knew it as he stopped just inches away to tower over him. The officer cleared his throat.

"Greetings Lord Ren. Captain Phasma has arrived ahead of you, and--"

Before he could finish, Kylo Ren marched passed him and continued down the long stretch of the hanger bay, leaving the officer to stand with his mouth agape at being dismissed so suddenly. He could _feel_ the smaller man snap his jaw shut and turn to glare over his shoulder. Smaller men were not his concern. The sooner the three of them got to Tehar, the sooner they could leave.

The door to the belly of the _Finalizer_ opened as Kylo Ren reached it, revealing Captain Phasma and General Hux to him. There was a moment where they stood silent, staring at one another, before Kylo Ren found himself stepping backwards to allow them closer, and so that the doors would shut behind them.

He only spent a moment glancing at Hux before choosing instead to focus on the mirror of chrome staring him directly in the face. He had seen the recruitment posters that the First Order had begun generating, but somehow that did not prepare him for just how large Phasma was.

"Captain Phasma." She did not flinch as Kylo Ren's voice thundered through the filter on his mask. "So good to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Lord Ren," Phasma replied, though there was no hint of deference in her tone. He did not need the Force to know that she was not being truthful. No doubt Hux had attempted to poison her thoughts before they had gotten a chance to be properly acquainted. That was just so like him, wasn't it? "Let us discuss exactly what it is we are after so that we may begin the mission, shall we?"

"Yes, let us not waste any more time. Unlike some people here, I have a schedule to keep. We may discuss the details on the shuttle." Armitage replied, giving Ren one last long and hard stare before marching back toward the shuttle Kylo had arrived in. It was currently refueling, but they did not need fuel to _talk_ on the damn thing. That wasn't really the point -- the point was that Armitage had made a decision about something that didn't necessarily belong to him, and that made Kylo Ren's blood boil something fierce. The _nerve_ of that little weasel.

Kylo Ren was surprised to find that Phasma was looking toward him expectantly when he opted to glance sideways to her, awaiting his orders. A welcome surprise, to be sure -- one that was a balm to his irritation with the arrogant general. And so, he nodded boldly and returned to return to his shuttle, mirror chrome monstrosity in tow.

This was going to be a long mission.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter because its been sitting as a draft for several months, and I just wanted to get it out so that I could start fresh on the next one. Sorry for the wait!

"Tehar lies just beyond the border of the Unknown Regions," Kylo Ren began, addressing the holographic map floating on the bridge in front of him. Phasma stood to his left and Armitage to his right. There was not much to look at, truthfully -- most of the Unknown Regions remained unmapped, save for the hyperspace jump points that would allow them to navigate the magnetic feels safely. Thankfully, nobody had more complete maps of this part of space than the First Order. That was, of course, intentional. "Much of the planet and its system house colonies of individuals that are non-space fairing."

To this, Hux leaned in to squint disapprovingly at the map. "That is impossible. Even the poorest of planets have access to the tech, even if they don't have the money to upkeep it." There was something in his tone that made Kylo Ren feel as if the General had something to prove. Pointedly, he turned to reply--

"You have not been to very many planets in the Unknown Regions, have you General?" Phasma cut in casually, leaving Kylo himself somewhat adrift in his own response. He carefully noted the way General Hux shifted his eyes toward Captain Phasma before conceding her point and returning to his straight-backed parade rest. How very curious. He did not know Armitage Hux to cow to anyone, let alone someone to whom he was supposed to be a direct superior. There was a long pause of silence -- Kylo Ren wanted to see if there was more to this, and it seemed neither Hux nor Phasma was interested in giving it to him.

However, after a few moments, Phasma continued in spite of Hux's obvious concession. "It is a common phenomenon, out here. Many of the hyper lanes are unstable, and many of the systems are hostile to offworlders because of it." 

Well, she certainly _sounded_ informed, but now that he thought about it, Kylo Ren did not know much of anything about Captain Phasma. Her arrival to the First Order had come when his attention had been...elsewhere. Then, it seemed he had blinked and she was wearing a captain's cape.

"Remind me where you come from, Captain," Kylo Ren turned his attention away from Hux and over toward the chrome frown beside him. Phasma, unlike just about everyone else, matched him in height and met his gaze easily.

"I fail to see how that relates to matter at hand," Phasma replied back, tone even. Despite that, Kylo couldn't help but notice the lack of title offered in return -- she had given it to Hux, but not to him. A sore spot, then? Interesting. He files that away for later.

"I suppose not," Kylo Ren concedes, somewhat testily. It was not in his nature to give up an argument so easily, but they were on a time table. "As I was saying, much of the planet is non-space fairing. However, we know that what technology they do have is powered by a network of energy from a currently unknown beacon of origin."

"And our mission is to locate it, and see if it can be harvested," General Hux finished for him smartly, a broad smirk suddenly plastered on his face. Kylo Ren felt a shiver of frustration shoot up his spine that he cannot stop from tensing at his shoulders. He could not _stand_ to be interrupted, let alone being made to feel like he was not as informed as he thought he was. Apparently, Phasma sensed it as well -- he could feel her finger moving toward the trigger on her blaster subconsciously. "As I suspected. The Supreme Leader knows that we now have quite an army to fuel, after all."

It took every ounce of his energy not to strangle the little ginger weasel where he stood.

"And," Phasma interjected, the sound of her voice cutting through the sudden, silent tension between the two men like a knife. "If these inhabitants are primitive as you suggest, then the Supreme Leader must have reason for sending all three of us to manage this, as opposed to a division of troopers." Phasma's focus was back on Kylo Ren now, her tone sweet while somehow also managing to belay her impatience with the two men beside her. "Care to elaborate further?"

"The Supreme Leader believes them to be harboring Force sensitive beings," Kylo Ren managed to squeeze out. To his delight and relief, Armitage made a noise that sounded vaguely as if he had stepped in something unpleasant. Finally, it felt like he had the upper hand in something. He wasn't sure when it had become a contest, really -- but it was. It _was_.

"And I suppose that is where you come in," Phasma replied in a tone that might be considered 'pleasant' were she not hidden under that angry chrome helmet. "Targets?"

"The Supreme Leader has noted several artifacts of interest that I am to personally retrieve," Kylo Ren replied, dismissing the hologram. He could sense Phasma's irritation and displeasure then, to which he continued with: "In addition, we will need to relocate one of the villages to make room for our mining team." Phasma did not calm as he had expected her to once he delivered this news. Certainly, she was less annoyed with _him_ , but there was something else. Something else lurking there that he could not quite discern -- at least, not without pushing. She would certainly feel that, Force Sensitivity or no. And so, for the time being, Kylo Ren allowed that curiosity to lay where he had found it.

"You will need to assemble a small strike team to take that village," Armitage replied to Phasma, oddly demure. He was concentrating. "No more than four. If we have any hope of a stealth operation, we cannot rely on our usual methods. And, given that many of the Stormtroopers are still going through reconditioning, we do not have very many options to start. What say you, Captain?" Back to pretending Kylo Ren wasn't in the room again.

"Already done," Phasma replied. "By your leave, I will have them marshaled before refueling completes."

"You have it," Armitage offered, waving a dismissive hand. Before Kylo Ren could cut in, Phasma was already gone, leaving only himself...and Armitage Hux, who was sneering at him from the other side of the holotable. He made a point to wait until Phasma was out of earshot before biting out what he wanted to say. "Let us be clear about one thing, Ren. The fuel the Supreme Leader seeks is being hunted for the express purposes of propelling _my_ army--"

 _Our army_ Kylo Ren mentally corrected. It would not be worth having this argument out loud while they were on a time table, even if he would have relished seeing the good General redden like a Zeltron.

"--and I will not have us delayed by any wild mynock hunts. So tell me true: these 'artifacts' he seeks. What is the likelihood that they are mere legend?" Hux finished, spine still stiff. Kylo Ren was almost impressed at the way Armitage conceded his lack of knowledge in this particular area. Perhaps this was doable after all.

"I cannot give you that information until we reach the surface," was Kylo Ren's unsatisfying answer. Hux's face pinched a bit more. "I simply do not have the data. Tehar has only ever been visited once, by the scouting mission that first found it. We are going in blind -- that is the truth of it." And once that was said, there were no other cards to lay upon the table. Kylo Ren started at his counterpart for a long time in silence while they both tried to work out what the other was still hiding before:

"The sooner we are through, the sooner we can restore order," Armitage offered in dismissal. He marched out of the command ship without another word, falling in step with his two guards that had been posted outside of the ship. Kylo Ren watched him go, privately smirking to have won the unspoken stand-off. In a battle of intimidation and sheer stubborn refusal to make space, he would always win over the younger Hux.

So long as he was on his own ship, anyway. The surface of Tehar would no doubt have other surprises waiting for them.


	4. Chapter 4

The Upsilon-class command shuttle offered a smooth ride between the _Finalizer_ and Tehar after they had all made the hyperspace jump. As Phasma had correctly assumed, they could only go so far before the helmsman informed General Hux that they had to drop out early or risk travel anomalies. That was, of course, why Kylo Ren had brought the command shuttle in the first place -- but even still, with the Triumvirate and a strike team of four aboard, it got crowded quickly. They would need to locate Tehar, land, and then wait for the _Finalizer_ to arrive after them. Their provisions would last them until then, give or take a few days.

If they did not kill one another first, of course.

FN-3427, FN-1462, FN-1184, and FN-2563 each stood in a corner of the command bridge, blasters in hand, calm as still water while Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and General Hux hung near the viewport as the shuttle came to touch down. It was the closest they'd been to one another since they had met, done so because there was nowhere else to stand and observe what was happening. But once the telltale _bump_ of the landing gear locking into place rocked the three of them into each other, they each took one step back to reestablish distance from each other. And, when Phasma turned to observe her troops, she found that they were being observed in turn. FN-1184 in particular seemed to key in with particular interest to Kylo Ren -- she could not be surprised, of course. As the Strike Commander of Prime Squad, it was his job to be tuned into any potential threats to his team, and Kylo Ren _oozed_ instability. Nobody needed the Force to see it.

It had been agreed ahead of time that Captain Phasma and the strike team would survey first, and that Kylo Ren would remain with the General to act as temporary escort. But then, it hadn't been so much "agreed" upon so much that Captain Phasma had ordered her troopers to form up around her, leaving General Hux and Kylo Ren to figure out their differences amongst themselves. And when Kylo Ren had decided it was time to leave, Armitage was not about to stay aboard an unguarded ship with only his blaster to protect him. With no one left to shuttle to the ground, the helmsman returned the shuttle to the sky, leaving Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux several clicks behind Phasma and her strike team.

"She advised us to wait until she commed us the all clear," Armitage bit out with frustration as they marched across the packed earth. The planet appeared largely barren. It was difficult for Armitage to believe there had been any life at all here -- but he was not so foolish to let his guard down. Not after seeing the hell that was Parnassos. Sure, he had not gone down to the planet _directly_ for any extended length of time, but he had made enough use of its "treasures" to know what often lurked in the shadows of a barren planet. It was part of the reason he was wary of this mission to start with: if the Supreme Leader had been interested, then there was almost certainly something dangerous here.

"Do you always do everything she tells you?" came the garbled query from Kylo Ren's vocorder. "You will have to excuse my ignorance: does not a General outrank a Captain?" The bait worked well -- Armitage immediately sputtered a furious reply.

"It has nothing to do with rank, you _enormous_ ignoramus!" General Hux quite literally spat, spittle flying from his lips. Beneath his helmet, Kylo Ren allowed himself a satisfied smirk. There were few people in the universe that were more easily riled than himself. Setting Armitage off was one of the few pleasures he had left in the galaxy. Obviously the General had not yet figured out how much joy it brought him, or he surely would have stopped giving him the pleasure. "Has it ever occurred to you that Captain Phasma _earned_ her expedient promotion? I know that must certainly be difficult for you to comprehend--"

"No more difficult than I am sure it must have been for you to swallow," Kylo Ren immediately interjected, forcing Armitage to pause and gather himself before he offered him another outburst. _Ah, so he_ had _figured it out then. Pity._

" _Regardless,_ " Armitage continued hotly. "Phasma's home planet was most inhospitable. No one is better suited to leading this sort of expedition, and you would be wise to heed her council if you value your life."

"I do not take kindly to threats, General," Kylo Ren remarked, one hand resting on the pommel of the lightsaber at his belt. Hux did not react.

"It was not a threat. It was a promise," Armitage replied, less annoyed this time. "Don't be a fool. You will have only yourself to blame when misfortune falls upon your head. Phasma is here for the same reasons we are -- to serve at the pleasure of the Supreme Leader. Her failure is our's, and vice versa. Try to remember that the next time you reach for that laser sword of your's."

To this, Kylo Ren did not reply. It was only an hour before he had to concede Armitage's point: sending the shuttle away before Phasma radioed back had been unwise. There was nothing on this planet for several stretches. Where there wasn't barren packed earth, there was miles and miles of sand. The signs of life were few and far between, only the occasional insect or bird that had strayed too far from a water source and happened upon them instead. And, unfortunately, an hour was the longest that Armitage could keep from belittling his companion for his uninformed decision.

"You could not stop and study the typography for two bloody seconds and see that we were dealing with a desert planet?" Hux grumbled just a few steps behind Kylo Ren. He was not in the same shape as the enforcer -- Armitage was largely a strategist, and a weapons developer. He was not designed or trained to be in the field for long stretches of time. "Enough. If we keep walking blindly without direction from Phasma, we will either exhaust ourselves or walk into an ambush." There it was again. _Phasma._ This foreign newcomer that Kylo Ren knew virtually nothing about. How was it that Hux could so blindly trust her, and yet hold such contempt for him? It was not that he was thirsting for Armitage Hux's approval, but the fact that he chafed so roughly against a _trusted_ and _proven_ supporter of the First Order was enough to make him feel unfairly inadequate.

"Ambushed by _whom_ exactly?" Kylo Ren blurted, sweeping one gangly arm outward to the vast nothingness surrounding them.

"Just because you cannot see them does not mean there are not people living out here," Hux replied with a light and tired roll of his bright eyes. Kylo Ren could not help but notice them now that they stood together in the desert heat. They were cold, contemptuous -- not unlike the Supreme Leader's. That made him uncomfortable, he realized suddenly.

"I am Force Sensitive," Kylo Ren retorted in return, faintly unaware of the defensive bite that his words had adopted alongside his new revelation. "If there were people here, I would be the _first_ to know."

It was in that moment that Armitage became so consumed with fury that he reached to grab for Kylo Ren's robes, despite the fact that he was taller than him. A mistake, to be certain -- Kylo Ren was larger, faster, and stronger than he, and it only allowed the briefest of contact with the fabric before one leather-gloved hand snapped around the redhead's windpipe. Armitage found himself shoved backward, but not released, his grip slipping as he was promptly lifted an inch off the ground and forced to stare down into that blank, expressionless helmet. Red in the face and sputtering, he began to struggle, prying at the fingers holding him up.

 _"General,"_ came a crackle from his wrist, causing Kylo Ren's attention to slowly slide there. It was Phasma. In his current state, Armitage could not do anything but claw and slap uselessly at Kylo Ren's hands, and as such there was no response. Phasma's voice on the other end grew impatient. _"General, report."_

Promptly, Armitage's struggles ceased, leaving him glaring down at Kylo Ren in expectation. If he was not given leave to reply, Phasma would surely grow suspicious and react accordingly. As such, Kylo Ren unceremoniously dropped the smaller man, leaving him to stumble a few feet away from him to nurse his new injury. "I'm here, Phasma," was his curt and hoarse reply. "Go on."

" _I am sending you our coordinates. I suggest you make your way there quickly. I cannot predict how much longer we will all remain unknown to the habitants of this planet._ "

"Have you run into trouble?" Kylo Ren cut in from over Hux's shoulder.

 _"No. But we do not exactly blend with the terrain. If we want the element of surprise on our side, we will need to act quickly,"_ was Phasma's reply. _"We have located a settlement. I will be sending Echo team off again to find more when you arrive here."_

"Understood. Well done, Phasma," Hux offered in a slick and pleased tone that made something unpleasant crawl down Kylo Ren's spine. There was no reply from the other end, only a tell-tale click that told them that Phasma had disconnected them. That meant that Armitage had free reign to turn back on Kylo Ren. "Now, if you are quite finished, I would _prefer_ to complete our objective and rid ourselves of this dusty rock as soon as possible." It would mean that he could be away from _both_ of them and back on his ship where he belonged, doing _actual_ work to further establish the First Order's grip on the galaxy.

Armitage was relieved when Kylo Ren said nothing and instead marched off in the direction they'd been pinged to. But as he retreated, Armitage could see the scrunch of fabric between the other man's shoulderblades where he surmised all of that tension gathered. No matter how quick they were about the mission, it was going to be a long one.

But passing the time would be easy.


End file.
